Improvement in machine-guns



' 4 Sheets-Sheet1. W. GARDNER.

- MAGHINE-GUNS.- N 174,13Q Patented Feb. 29, 1876.

4 Sheets-Shed 2. W. GARDNER.

. MACHINE-GUNS. .130. Pate nted Feb. 29,1876.

' W; GARDNER.

MACHINE-GUNS.

Patented Feb.29,1876.'

gun.

'iical section. Fig. 5 is a'longitudinal vertical section, showing the lock attached to the mechline was of Fig. 10.

WILLIAM GARDNER, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN MACHINE-GUNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. {7 1,130, datedFebiuary 29, 1876; application filed August 10, 1875.

in which the operation of loading'and firing is carried'on by means of mechanism put in motion by anycon\-'enient prime mover. The character, of the invention will be defined in thefollowing description and claims.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. showing the gun with top of the casing raised. Fig. 3 is a top view, illustrating the use of six barrels in the Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central and veranism shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aplan of the 'firingmechanism as seen when'the top of the casing is removed. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the top of the casing. Fig. 8 is an elevation, showing the details of the construction of the lock. Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the Fig. 10 is a plan of the grooved block into which the cartridges are fed. Fig. 11 is a plan of the perforated slide and eccentric lever, and an elevation of the' same. Fig. 12 is an end view of the crank and firing-cam. Fig. 13 is 'an elevation showing the relative position of the notch and crank. Fig. 14 is a front elevation oi the same.v

. The same letters are employed in all the figures in the designation ot'identical parts. The gun may be constructed with any number of barrels, in sets of two. I haveillustrated it with six. More or less may be employed, but always in even numbers, as it will be more economical to make them work in pairs; though singlebarrels could be operated. I will describe the mechanism for operating a pair of barrels.

The gun is supported upon the base A, which may be attached to a gun-carriage, or to any fixed or movable support. The barrels are placed parallel to one another in a frame, and are adjusted altogether as one piece. The elevation is determined by the screw B, the frame turning upon trunnions O, andhon izontally on a pivot under the center of the base A. The mechanism is inclosed in a tight casing, bywhich it is. protected, the barrels projecting in front of the case. The top D is 'hinged, so that it may be lifted oifrand, when down, is secured by the set-screw D, or in other convenient manner. The casingis composed of two side pieces, which, as illustrated in the drawings, extend the entire length of the gun, and support the barrels, near their muzzles, by a cross-piece shown at l Fig. 3.

These side pieces, being separate, may be made of plates of wrought-iron or steel. They are supported on the cast block 1 whichhas trunnions turned upon its ends outside the side pieces, and is bored to receive the ends of the barrels, which are screwed into it. ,By this. construction of the frame the partsare perfectly supported, and the frame may be reduced in weight, and yet its strength pre-- served;

' E is the hopper, in which the metallic car tridges are placed in due-order. Inthe bottom of each hopper (there being one to each pair of barrels) is a-hole, having below it an oscillating plate, F, also with a hole in the middle large enough to permit a cartridge to pass through it. When the two holes are in register, a cartridge will fall into the slot in plate F, shown at F, and be upon the central bar G, which stands between-the chambers, which are immediately behind the. barrels. The plate F slides laterally in dovetails in the bottom plate of the hopper, and it 'is thrown from side tovside by,the oscillating bar F shaped as shown, which is actuated by the friction-wheels K attached to the reciprocating bnr K, striking against the shoulders on the sides oi the liar F The frictionwheel first striking the shoulder f near the pivot throws the hole F into'register with the one in the bottom-plate ot' the hopper. It remains stationary while the wheel is traversing the straight portion of the bar F and when it encounters the shoulder f the plate will be pushed to one side, causing the cartridge to drop into its proper chamber. The return movement of the plate is caused by the similar acsyion ot' the alternating plunger on the other de. When the cartridge is received in its chamber it falls upon a slotted plate, H. Theform and position of this plate is such that its solid part willreceive the point of the cartridge, and its flanged head will be supported upon the parallel sides-of the slot,

2 muse which is not wide enough to permitthe head to pass at this point, where it is received when it falls from the hopper: But in rear the slot is wider, as shown at H, so that at this point the cartridge will fall through. There is a stop, F on the under side of plate F, which shuts across th cartridge chamber and prevent s the cartridge from sliding back and falling out of the slot when firing at an elevation, until the plunger K is pushed forward so far as to close the portion H of the slot, so as to prevent the escape of the cartridge when it is drawn aside so as 'not to interfere with the movement of the plunger. I I are the barrels, placed immediately in'frqnt of the cartridgechamber, into which. their: points are pushed, and they are fired by the following mechanism: K K are the reciprocating plungers, which slide to and from the barrels in the 'cartridge-chamber. Going forward, they strike the end of the cartridge lying on plate H, and push itlforward into the barrel; when it is pushed home, the notched head of the extractorLengagestheflange on the head of the cartridge, and the hammer is made to strike against the firing-pin M- and discharge the cartridge. The return movement ofthe plunger drawsbac i the cartridge held by thccxtractor, and when the head .reachesthe.wide slot B it will fall through the opening onto the ground, leaving the chamber open to receive another "cartridge from the hopper.

The plunger is actuated by a crank, 0 of which there is one for each plunger, as well as a cam-wheel Qti notched at 0 which op eratcs the hammer. The rear end of the plunger is U-formed, as shown at K and embraces the crank O. This crank'is flattened on one side in such manner that when that side is in action, which occurs just when the cartridge is pushed home, the crank will communicate no motion to the plunger until the cartridge has been fired. The recoil will be sustained by this flattened portion of the crank or cam which holds the plunger stationary during the period of firing.

The hammer is a bell-crank lever, N, the upper end of which is projected forward by the spring and the long arln'rcsts against the under face of the cam 0 which holds back the hammer until the long arm l'allsinto the notch 0 when the spring throws the hammer sharply forward against the rear end of t e firing pin M, driving it against and exploding the cartridge. The cams and crrnks are rotated by the crank P, or by belt and pulley. I

In order to" provide against accidents, a flattened shaft, Q, is placed in front of the hammerin such position that if the part of greatest diameter is placed opposite the hammerit will intercept the blou'jbefcreit can project the firing pin; but if the flattened side is presented, the hammer will have its full throw and force the firingpin out bcyondthe end of the reciprocatingplunger and against the cartridge. The end of the hammer enters a slot in the rear end of the tiring-pin, which moves in both directions with it through a.

space determined by the position of the.

shaft Q. .t I

The trunnions O are extensions of a block, I, into which the barrels are screwed at the breech, and it also forms part of the frame and one end of the casing.

The relative arrangement of the cranks and cams determines the order of fire, which may be consecutive orin volleys of all or part of the barrels as preferred.

\Vhat Iclaimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iso 1. In the frame of a machine-gun, in combination with the independent side pieces, the block 1 into which the barrels are screwed, the ends of said block passing throughand supporting the side pieces from the trunnions, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the casing and firing mechanism of a machine-gun, the hinged arm D carrying the hopper and cartridge feedplate F, substantially as shown.

3. In agun in which the barrels are arranged in pairs, the reciprocating feed-plate, slottedas shown, in combination with the hopper and cartridge-chambers, and intermediate parti' tions for feeding the cartridges alternately to the chambers, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the recirrocatin g feed-plate the arm F shouldered as shown, and actuated by theplungers alternately, substantially as set forth. v w

5. Iii-combination with the cartridge chamher, having the slots H H. of diiierentwidths, the reciprocating feed-plate I1, and projecting point F for retaining the cartridgesduring part of the forward movement of the plungers, substantially as described.v :1

6. In combination with the slots of varying widths, as shown at H H,=thc cartridge-extractor for discharging the empty shell, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the partition G, the narrow slot H, placed-insuch relation thereto that a cartridge falling from the partition will lie with its head upon the narrow slot. and its point on the solid -end. ot'-. the bottom of the cartridgechamber,substantially asdescribed.

8. In combination with the barrel of a ma chine-gun, the reciprocating plunger 3K when constructed with the U-formed bearing for the actuating crank, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with the plunger K and hammer N, the cranks O and cams O with notches 0", constructed in one piece, to be operated simultaneously bythe crankl, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification-in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

i ware-Antenna.

\Vitncsscs: I THOMAS (J. OONNOLLY Y A: lturrEnr- 

